ICC rates Perth pitch 'very good' despite two-day finish, putting spotlight on England's poor batting
The ICC's rating of the Perth pitch has put the spotlight on England's poor batting performance. (Getty Images: Darrian Traynor)
In short:
The ICC has rated the pitch at Perth Stadium to be "very good" despite a two-day finish in the first Ashes Test.
The rating comes as reporters from India suggested a sub-par playing surface was to blame for the rapid match.
What's next?
Australia and England will face off in Brisbane for the second Test beginning December 4. ABC Sport will live blog the match.
The pitch at Perth Stadium for the first Ashes Test has been rated as "very good" under the International Cricket Council's (ICC) four-tier rating system.
The surface was characterised as having "good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent bounce early in the match, allowing for a balanced contest between batters and bowlers".
This comes despite the opening Test between Australia and England finishing inside two days, a result which is expected to cost Cricket Australia millions of dollars.
Cricket Australia's chief of cricket, James Allsopp, welcomed the ICC's assessment of the Perth pitch.
Australia's Travis Head was one of only three players to register a score of 50 or more in the first Test. (Getty Images: Robbie Stephenson)
"The match referee's 'very good' rating justifies our belief Perth Stadium produced a pitch that provided a fair balance between bat and ball," Allsopp said in a statement on Thursday.
"The dominance of some brilliant pace bowling from both sides and the frenetic nature of the contest meant the match lasted only two days.
"This was disappointing for fans holding tickets for days three and four, but we saw some incredible moments which captivated huge viewing audiences and will inspire even more kids to pick up a bat and ball this summer.
"As always, we want to ensure pitches across Australia have their own characteristics and we're looking forward to another enthralling contest under lights at the Gabba starting next Thursday."
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The ICC's assessment follows criticism of the Perth pitch by Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle after the first Test.
"There were 60000 people expected in Perth today," Bhogle posted on X after the match. "They would have looked forward to a great Sunday for weeks.
"Even if the batting was unusually frenetic, and the game was extraordinarily gripping, a track that allows a game to end in 2 days isn't fair to the stakeholders of the game."
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Indian cricket journalist Boria Majumdar also echoed a similar sentiment, claiming there were "clear double standards" when assessing pitches in India and around the world.
The ICC's assessment places more pressure on the poor performance from England's batting line-up, which lasted 32.5 overs in the first innings and 34.4 overs in the second innings. Australia's 45.2-over first innings was the longest of the entire Test.
Despite their failure to adjust to Australian conditions in the first Test, England's players have opted to skip a tour match under lights against the Prime Minister's XI in Canberra beginning Saturday, ahead of next week's pink ball Test in Brisbane.